from illinois.mr.durbin: iask unanimous consent the period of morning business be extended until 4:00 p.m. today, that all provisions of the previous order remain in effect. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. mr. durbin: i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: a senator: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from kansas. mr. roberts: i ask the quorum call be lifted. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. roberts: let me take a moment to welcome to you the united states senate and i look forward to working with you. welcome to the united states senate. over the christmas holidays much of our nation was foikdz on what congress would do to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff. what was large-missing from that conversation was how to address the much greater and more damaging problem, our growing national debt. i'm not exactly sure what the definition of fiscal cliff was. i think it is different meanings to different people. we dealt with a portion of the fiscal cliff. a slight de

call:mr.durbin: mr.president? the presiding officer: the senator from illinois.mr.durbin: iask unanimous consent the quorum call be suspended. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. durbin: sciewns the senate proceed to a period of morning business with senators permit permit -- permitted permitted. i ask unanimous consent that the proceedings of the inaugural ceremony be printed in the record. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. durbin: i understand there are two bills at the desk. i ask for their first reading en bloc. the presiding officer: the clerk will read the titles of the bills en bloc. the clerk: s. 47, a bill to reauthorize the violence against women act of 1994. h.r. 152, an act making supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending september 30, 2013, to improve and streamline disaster assistance for hurricane sandy and for other purposes. mr. durbin: i ask for a second reading en bloc and i object to my own request en bloc. the presiding officer: o'is heard. the bills will be read for the second time on the next legi